PROTESTERS dropped to the cold wet floor in York city centre last night to stage a "die-in" highlighting the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

The demonstration was organised by members of York Against The War, who have been campaigning to end the Iraqi occupation and Afghanistan mission since they began in 2003 and 2001 respectively. Organiser Patrick Black said: "We demand, as ever, the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It is for the Iraqi and Afghani people to resolve their own problems in their own countries, without foreign intervention, war and occupation. No more blood for oil."

More than 180 British solders have now been killed in the two conflicts.

Mr Black claimed an estimated 650,000 civilians had been killed in Iraq alone, although no definitive record of deaths has been kept.

He said: "Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent, with further obscene billions to be spent on the replacement of Britain's nuclear arsenal."